The next morning, Twilight awoke in her bed, alone. She got up and walked to the next room to find out who would be helping her with breakfast. But she found that both of the other bedrooms were empty. She trotted downstairs. Sunset was already on the couch in the living room, sipping a cup of coffee. Moondancer sat at the kitchen table chewing on a bagel.

"Good morning," Sunset greeted.

"Good morning," Twilight replied. "Where are Starlight and Trixie?" she asked. Sunset shrugged.

"They never came back in from last night," Moondancer said. "I would presume that they are still in Trixie's caravan, parked outside."

"Oh." Twilight stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"Do you want me to go check on them?" Sunset asked.

"No, no. I'll take care of this," Twilight said. She trotted out of the front door and made her way over to Trixie's wagon. She lifted her hoof to knock at the door, but paused at the last moment. She made her way around the side to the small window. The curtain was drawn, but there was a small space where she could see inside. Trixie was asleep in her disheveled bed. Starlight laid beside her with her hoof draped across the azure mare. Twilight walked back to the door. It was mid-morning, and she had a lot of plans for everypony. She needed to gather them all around the table inside to discuss them. She knocked and waited, giving them a few moments to rouse. The Groggy and Half-Awake Trixie opened the door a just crack.

"Yes?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Trixie, I've got a great plan for today, and I need everypony all together. So I need you and Starlight to come back inside," Twilight said.

"Oh, uh, Starlight isn't here," Trixie said with a blush. "Why don't you search the castle and I can look around town?" Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Starlight, I know you're in there," Twilight said past Trixie. "Not to ruin the surprise, but I need everypony for the big 'final challenge'!" Trixie gave Twilight a strange look.

"What final challenge?" she asked.

"Why, the big group orgy, of course!" Twilight said with a gleeful smile as she clapped her hooves. Starlight nudged Trixie aside and opened the door.

"Um, Twilight, about that," Starlight said as she rubbed her neck. "Trixie and I got to talking last night-"

"Among other things," Trixie said with a smirk.

"Trix, not right now," Starlight said. "We got to talking and we realized that... you were right. About Trixie and I. About the way we feel about each other."

"Oh?"

"At first it was just a physical thing," Starlight explained. "She was an outlet with my pent-up frustration with your obliviousness to my advances."

"And Starlight was my Mini-Twilight," Trixie said.

"And I get why she was infatuated with you," Starlight continued. "I mean, I was too. But she doesn't have the same love-hate relationship with me. For me it's just... love. So we've both decided to drop out of your Tryouts."

"Oh?"

"But it doesn't mean I'm not grateful about everything," Starlight said. "Your help, and guidance and... for helping us realize our true feelings for each other. And, I mean, just look at her!" Starlight said, stepping aside. Trixie did a quick flourish of her mane and tail as she turned in place. "She's sexy in an obvious way."

Twilight sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Yeah..." she admitted. "She is... But could you come back inside, just for this? Or at least, Trixie? Even if we aren't going to be in a relationship, I'd still like a chance to..." Twilight trailed off, making an implying gesture "with you." Starlight moved to step between them, but Trixie stopped her with her hoof, holding her back. Trixie turned to Twilight.

"Twilight... not to be mean about it but... you had your chance," Trixie said. "You had several. But Starlight and I are in love now. We're done with your Tryouts. We played our part. You played your game. And, frankly, You give love a bad name." Trixie and Starlight stepped back inside and closed the door. Leaving Twilight standing outside the wagon.

"Oh."

Twilight stepped away from the caravan and turned to walk back inside the castle. She felt like she's been shot through the heart. She had tried to come to expect the unexpected. Especially with everything that had been going on all week. Especially with Trixie. She had tried to envision every possible outcome to her Tryouts. What would happen with everypony by the end. Where they would go if she hadn't chosen them. Who they would go with. She honestly should not have felt surprised that Starlight and Trixie ended up together. She predicted that would be the case if she didn't pick either of them.

But what she did not predict was being beaten to the punch. She had practiced all of her break-up speeches for each pony. She had mentally practiced letting each of them down. She had a plan. But she never even conceived that she would be on the receiving end of the rejection.

"I wasn't prepared for this."

But there was still Sunset and Moondancer. Moondancer had a lot of history with Twilight. And she could always try to curb Moon's more... exotic kinks. But she adored her strong personality. She wanted her to be the lead in the relationship. And although Sunset wasn't as dominant, Twilight could help to improve that too, with time. She didn't have Moondancer's prowess with magic, but Twilight could become her teacher. She could be her new Starlight. And this time, Twilight would not be blind to their relationship. With renewed conviction, Twilight walked inside.

"Alright girls! I've got some news, and a big plan for all of us. Today we're going to-" Twilight stopped in mid-step. Moondancer was in the middle of packing a bag. Sunset walked into the room with her own bag. "What's going on here?" Moondancer and Sunset exchanged looks.

"Um, well, the thing is," Sunset began. "It's insane what you miss about being a human. I miss having hands, and fingers. I miss my car. My house."

"But- but you said that you came back because you missed being a pony. Because you loved me. But, the pony me," Twilight said.

"I did. I mean, I do. Sort of," Sunset said. "But I think I was more in love with the idea of you. When you came to the other world after me, you took charge and saved everyone. You saved me." Twilight smiled. Sunset smiled back. "And when I came back, you took charge and made this whole... game. You told everypony exactly how it was going to be and that excited me. But I don't know where that pony went when we were in your bedroom."

"Sunset..." Twilight tried.

"No, no, it's okay. I get it," Sunset said. "You're a princess. You have to be in charge. That's like, your job now. You have to step up. You have to make the decisions. And that's not what you want to have to do in a personal relationship. You'd rather take a break from leading and let somepony else take charge for once. Tell me I'm wrong."

Twilight didn't reply.

"But that pony is not me, Twilight. And I never will be," Sunset said. Twilight's head drooped.

"...I know."

"The other Twilight didn't have leadership forced on her. She strove for it. She has that drive to push herself. She may be human, but she's the lover I need. And I'm sorry that you had to go through all this for me to learn that."

"I- I understand," Twilight said. She looked at Moondancer. "And you?"

"I'm going with her," Moondancer said. "I'm curious to see this 'human world'."

"But you won't have your magic."

"Sunset's enchanted journal works over there," Moondancer said. "My enchanted book should still work as well. And besides, I'll be going in my pony form."

"And how are you planning on pulling that off?" Twilight asked.

"The device on the mirror."

"I mean, how do you plan on being there as a pony?"

"She'll be posing as my pet," Sunset said.

"Pet-play excites me," Moondancer said.

"But I thought you said you didn't want to be the dominant one," Twilight said.

"Oh, I have no intention of being the pet," Moondancer said. "It might be our cover story. But once my human slave gets home from work, I'll be the one calling the shots." She gave Sunset a sly look.

"Besides," Sunset said, "You still have Starlight and Trixie vying for you. So there's that." Sunset stepped through the portal. Moondancer adjusted the toggle on the mirror for her to keep her pony form.

"And Trixie is sexy in an obvious way," Moondancer said before walking through, herself. The mirror shimmered and hummed before falling silent and still. Twilight stood alone in the castle. It suddenly felt far too large and quiet for just one pony.

"...Shit."

That evening, in Canterlot Castle, a lavender pony entered the throne room.

"Twilight!" Celestia greeted enthusiastically.

In what might have been mistaken for a prolonged bow, her head hung low as she walked slowly toward Princess Celestia. Anticipating a sensitive topic of discussion with her former student, she did not want prying ears.

"Guards, leave us," Princess Celestia commanded, waving them away with her gold-clad hoof. The guards exited as Celestia's gaze drift up past the approaching guest, looking for her companion. "Shall we be expecting a happy announcement, Princess Sparkle? Whom did you choose?" she asked.

"Nopony."

"Still choosing?"

"No."

"Do you intend to have a harem?"

"No. Is Spike around?" she asked, deflecting the questions.

"He has not left my sister's chambers since he arrived."

"Excuse me. I just came to let him know that... that he can come home now." Twilight dismissed herself and left. She walked down the hallway to Princess Luna's bedchambers. She prepared to knock when she heard voices inside.

"You're right! I don't need Rarity! This is so much better!"

"Yes! Keep going! I'm almost there!"

"I'm trying!"

"Faster!"

"I'm coming!"

"Inside! Do it inside!"

Twilight threw open the door. Spike and Luna were going at it. They were side by side, playing Mare-io Kart. Spike drove into the track's tunnel and threw the turtle shell. It ricocheted off of the tunnel walls and hit the player in the lead as he and Luna completed the race in first and second place.

"Um, Spike?" Twilight said from the doorway. Spike turned and looked at her.

"Oh, Hey Twi. Are you all done with your Tryouts?" he asked. She nodded. "Great! Who did you pick?"

"Can... can I talk to you out here for a minute?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, sure," Spike answered, setting the controller down. Stepping out into the hallway he closed the door. "So? What's up? Is it safe for me to come home?"

"Yeah, it... I..." Twilight trailed off. "I didn't pick anypony."

"You rejected them all? That must have been tough for you," he said.

"Actually, they all left," she said.

"Oh. Oh. That's worse."

"Yeah. I came to talk to Celestia. But I wanted to let you know that it was over."

"Okay." Spike waited for Twilight to keep talking. Twilight just stood there for a minute, shuffling her hooves, unsure of what to say next. Spike broke the silence. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Twilight said. "Was there a lesson here that I was supposed to have learned?"

"I dunno. A pony in your bed is worth two in the bush? Be more honest with your lovers? Be more decisive? Maybe don't be a greedy bitch?"

"Spike!"

"Hey, look who you're asking!" Spike fumed. "You had four mares pining after you, and you're complaining to me. Me!"

"Okay. I guess I brought that on myself." Twilight sighed. "What happened? It used to be all so simple. Why did it all go so wrong?"

"Because you didn't take my advice," Spike said, trying not to sound smug. "When I told you it was going to be a train wreck. Why do you think I got the hay out of Dodge?"

"That's it? I should take you advice more often?" she asked.

"Couldn't hurt."

"I meant, what was the life lesson about all of this?"

"I don't know. I guess, too many waifus will screw up your life-fu?" he suggested.

"Well, it rhymes. So I guess that's the lesson," Twilight said with resignation.

"So, back home, is my bedroom..." He trailed off and scratched the back of his head. "Eh, how do I put this... Not sticky?"

"I... I might need to give it a once-over," Twilight said. Spike could see the sun getting low outside the window. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'll spend another night here while you clean up your mess. I'll be home some time tomorrow ," he said. He turned and went back into Luna's bedroom. "Ready for another round?" he asked Luna as he closed the door.

"We've put in Fighting Is Magic!" Luna said.

"Well, get ready to have your plot pounded!"

Back in the throne room, Princess Celestia watched Twilight walk into the throne room again with her head hung low. Celestia descended the stairs from the throne and met her in the middle of the otherwise-empty room. Twilight flopped her haunches down onto the carpet in front of Celestia.

"I didn't choose anypony," Twilight said to the floor. "I didn't reject anypony. They all left. Everypony rejected me," Twilight reported. Celestia sat beside her and wrapped her wing around her.

"No. Not everypony." Twilight wiped her bloodshot eyes and looked up at Celestia. Celestia looked down at Twilight with that warm smile that always made everything all better. "I never doubted that you would find The One for you. The One pony that has always been there for you when you needed them most. The One that has always loved you. The One that had forsaken all others and waited for you to realize that..." Celestia pulled her closer to her, "they were The One for you, just as you are The One for them."

"Princess!?" Twilight scoffed. Celestia just smiled.

"Yes, Twilight," she answered.

"You- but, but why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"That would have been unfair of me. To you, and to your suitors at the time."

"But- what about you?" Twilight asked. "How could you just let me... date like that if you felt that way? Didn't you- didn't that upset you?" Celestia smiled.

"Twilight, of course it hurt to see you do that as I felt that way for you. But it was my choice. It was my pain, and burden to bear. My dear, you are going to find that, as a princess, one of the key virtues to have is patience. Particularly if you are an immortal princess," she said. "Why do you think I made you an Alicorn?" she asked.

"Because of merit?" Twilight asked. Celestia snorted.

"Oh Twilight, I like playing pretend too."

"But you said you could never take a suitor."

"I could never take a mortal suitor, Twilight. I couldn't bear to outlive another spouse again. I feared that I would have to wait your would-be-wife's lifetime for you to realize that. After your partner had passed, I would have been there to console you. And if you took another spouse, I would have waited again. And I would have consoled you again. But I would have. I would have waited an eternity for you. Because I love you." Her large, alabaster wings enclosed them in a warm canopy of feathers.

"Celestia-"

"I would be yours, Twilight, if you would have me," Celestia breathed, erring closer to Twilight's face. Their whole world was inside of Celestia's enclosed wing. "If you would be mine?"

Of all the questions she'd been asked, or asked of herself, none had she known the answer for, with such certainty as this.

"...Yes."

Celestia closed the distance as her lips met Twilight's. All of Twilight's doubt and fears melted away. She could feel Celestia's warm breath against her cheek. She dared to open her mouth first. Celestia was happy to oblige the signal. Their tongues danced and played over one another inside their mouths. Celestia could hear Twilight's hurried panting in her ears inside the small space. Luna opened the throne room door.

"Tia, you need to lower the suuUUH-never-mind!" Luna spun on her hoof and walked back out, closing the door behind her.

The sunset could wait a little longer.

The Sun had waited long enough.

Author's Note

"Spike," Luna said as she walked back into her bedroom, "my sister is going to be a while. We have time for another round of coitus."

"Alright. But I get to be on top this time."

"Prithee, my dragon, but what is it about us that thou finds most attractive?"

"You're voice, actually. There's just something familiar about it."